SHIELD
by B00k Freak
Summary: No matter what, Daisy knew she would always have a home with SHIELD. Sequel to Home, best if you read that first.
1. Chapter 1

**February 2008**

Daisy wasn't sure when she decided that she wanted to join SHIELD. She had seen the lives her parents led, and knew that they'd come horrifyingly close to dying on more than one occasion. They worked for days on end, came home with injuries that Daisy knew they tried to brush off to keep her from worrying, had haunted looks in their eyes sometimes.

But she wanted to do it. She wanted to be a part of that world. Daisy had spent so many years all alone, needing someone to help her. In the end it was Phil. A SHIELD agent and a good man. Her dad.

SHIELD had given her her mom too. May. Who was strong and sometimes quiet but always there when Daisy needed her, ready to show her how to be strong too, and to catch her when she couldn't be.

She loved them. Loved what they did every day. It wasn't a bad thing that she wanted to be part of it.

Right?

She had done her research, looked into the different academies and the different jobs she could potentially have. Thought about what she could be good at, what classes she could take and what would get her extra credit.

Armed with this knowledge, Daisy sat down one night to talk to her parents about it. She knew that she didn't need their permission. In a few months she would be eighteen and she could do whatever she wanted.

But she needed them to be happy with this decision deep down, even knowing that they would love her no matter what.

Daisy sat down at the dining table with a sigh, clasping her hands together in front of her. "I want to join SHIELD." She said. "I-I'm old enough that I can go to Communications or Operations Academy, I've done my research and I know I can hack it."

Phil and Melinda looked at one another and then back to her. Phil took a breath. "Daisy-"

"No, please, I need to say this." Daisy interrupted, not speaking again until she saw him nod and gesture for her to continue. "I've seen what you guys do every day, I know it's hard and- sometimes it can be hell, but you help people. People who don't have anyone else, and... I wanna be a part of that."

Her parents waited to see if she was done speaking, then Phil tried again. "Daisy, you're only seventeen."

"A lot of cadets are my age." She muttered, looking down. "You think it's a bad idea."

May shook her head, "No." She said. "We thought you might want to join up, and we'd be proud if you did."

"So?"

"It's not that we think you're not ready." Phil said. "Or can't handle it. It's just that you can do so many things now. You're almost out of high school and you've never had the chance to just be a kid. You could go to college or travel or anything. We just want you to... take six months. Backpack in Europe, take a short course on something you've always wanted to learn." He smiled. "SHIELD isn't going anywhere, and neither are we."

Daisy looked down, thinking about it. "I don't know."

May put a hand over hers. "You'd be a great agent." She said. "We just want you to have the chance to explore the world. Learn more about yourself."

Daisy laughed shakily. "Backpacking by myself just feels... scary."

May's eyes were warm. "You're more scared of backpacking than you are of joining a spy organisation." She said. "That means that you should try backpacking."

Daisy swallowed. "You promise you're not just trying to get rid of me?"

"Promise." Phil murmured. "We've got some vacation time saved up, if you want we could start it off together for a week? Go to Spain?"

"I'll think about it."

"Good idea." Phil said. "Look, if you want to be an agent we're behind you one hundred percent. This is just a vacation before you do that."

Daisy shrugged, disappointed that they didn't want her to do this now. "Forced vacation." She muttered.

"You don't have to do it." May said, a frown colouring her features. "If you want to go straight to the academy, you can."

"But you'd be disappointed if I did."

Melinda shook her head. "We'd be disappointed because we'd feel like you missed out, not disappointed in you."

Daisy fiddled with her hands for a moment. "I have always wanted to visit China." She admitted. "Especially now that I know the language."

May nodded with a smile. "Then go. We can sort out the paperwork so you can apply when you get back."

"I- okay." Daisy said softly. "As long as you're okay with it."

Phil grinned. "Well we didn't suggest it because we hated the idea." He joked. "Thank you for listening."

Daisy nodded. "You too." She said softly. "I love you."

"We love you too."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

 **May 2008**

Daisy's SAT scores were coming in the mail, but there was one other piece of paperwork that Melinda and Phil were waiting for. For months, May had been thinking about it. She was back in the field completely now, and while she wasn't the same person that she was, she knew she could take it.

She missed working with Phil.

It was strange to admit, even to herself. She saw her husband every evening and every morning, as well as frequent lunch dates at the Triskellion. But she still missed them being together on missions.

She knew that Phil missed it too. Several months ago they were paired together coincidentally and it was the best mission either had been on in a very long time.

Even if it _was_ undercover.

Daisy was still at school when Phil came up the stairs, letter in hand. "I think we got approved."

Melinda cocked her head. "Did you read it?"

He frowned, almost offended. As if he would read this news without his wife. "No, but you _know_ Fury would have had us in for a lecture if we were denied." He snorted. "Remember all the warnings about misconduct?"

May grinned, patting the couch beside her until he joined her. "Haven't had one of those in a while." She mused. "I guess we're just not getting caught anymore."

"Such a shame." Phil grinned, letter in hand. He held it out. "Do you want to do it?"

She shook her head. "All yours."

Phil ripped the envelope and beamed. "Approved." When he looked to his wife he was surprised to see her smiling just as wide.

"Good." May said, quickly kissing him. "They'd be stupid not to want us together in the field."

"Damn right." He muttered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

A moment later the door opened and Daisy entered. When she caught sight of them on the couch she groaned. "Ugh, can't you guys keep it in your pants?" She whined, trying to hide her smile.

May rolled her eyes and Phil grinned. "You going out?" He called as Daisy dumped her bag in her room.

"Yeah!" She called back. "Me and Felicity were gonna see a movie."

"I think you mean 'Felicity and I'"

Daisy snorted. "Whatever old man _."_

"Need any cash young lady?"

"No thanks!" She said, briefly closing the door to change.

Neither of her parents had moved from their position on the couch when she came back out. "How do I look?"

They both smiled. "Beautiful." Phil said softly. "But be careful, okay?"

Daisy nodded. "I will."

"Call us if you need anything."

"Okay."

May raised an eyebrow. "Home by seven-thirty?"

Daisy rolled her eyes. "Eleven." She bartered.

"It is a Friday." Phil pointed out.

May narrowed her eyes. "Nine."

"Ten-thirty."

"Done."

Daisy beamed. "Okay, I've gotta go, she's waiting downstairs." She darted over to give each of them a quick hug. "I love you!"

They smiled. "We love you too." Phil said. "Have fun."

"We will!"

Watching Daisy go left a strange feeling of unease in the pit of Melinda's stomach, though she wasn't entirely sure why.

It wasn't until the two of them had sat down for dinner that she figured it out. "What if something happens?"

Phil swallowed a piece of chicken. "What do you mean?"

May looked down. "Remember those games we used to play at the academy? Thought experiments I guess. 'If the world went to hell right now, what's your plan?' and we'd run with it. See how far we could make it."

"What are you getting at?"

"What if the world goes to hell and we're in the field? What about Daisy?"

Phil put a hand on her shoulder. "We talked about this." He said. "That's why we made Maria godmother."

May swallowed. "She needs us. You know she does."

He sighed. "I know."

"She needs you."

Phil stiffened. "Melinda..."

"I'm not going to do something stupid." She said, turning to face him. "I'm not trying to get myself killed, I just mean... if it's just us on a mission and something goes wrong, you get out. I give you an opening and you get out and come home to Daisy."

"It won't come to that."

"If it _does._ " May pressed. "You have to promise."

Phil took her hand, weaving their fingers together. "Only if _you_ promise," He said, meeting her eyes, "That it's only as a last resort. And that you'll trust me if I say I can see a way out."

She nodded. "Okay."

Phil smiled, pulling her closer and pressing a kiss to her hair. "I love you."

"I know."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

 **May 2010**

Daisy stared at the two options for the millionth time, cursing herself for her indecision. She wished she could choose easily. She wished she knew what she wanted to do, but even after travelling half the world she still had no idea.

Operations or Communications.

May or Coulson.

Her mom or her dad.

How was she supposed to choose between them? Either choice would let one of them down. Her decision told them which of them she wanted to be like. And she couldn't do that.

She loved them. May being so quiet and kick-ass and kind. Phil, funny and understanding.

They were her family.

Phil grinned when he saw her looking at the brochure. "Going with the biggest academy I see." He teased gently. "Most to learn."

Melinda rolled her eyes. " _Phil_." A reminder. They could be competitive about this, but not in front of Daisy. She knew that this was a hard decision. She remembered when her mother was pushing her to join the CIA. Remembered how much she had hated it.

Phil held up his hands. "Okay, okay." He relented. "You do whatever feels right honey."

Melinda noticed the way Daisy's face twitched when he said that. The indecision, the guilt. She remembered that feeling.

She wouldn't have her daughter going through what she had.

Later that night, after Phil had gone to sleep, she crept out of their room, silently closing the door behind her. As she had expected, Daisy was still awake.

Melinda knocked gently on her open door. "Hey."

Daisy looked up with a start. She didn't know how May could still sneak up on her. "Hey." She sighed, throwing the application forms down. "I couldn't sleep."

May cocked her head. Daisy looked harried and stressed and totally indecisive. "I'm not surprised." She said softly, nodding to the papers. "Big decision."

"Yeah." Daisy murmured, waving her in. May sat at the end of her bed, looking at the forms. Even now, Daisy struggled to read her expressions sometimes. "If- if you're here to tell me why Ops is the best I'd rather not." She joked, half-serious.

May leaned back against the wall with a sigh, her socked feet hanging off the edge of the bed. "You should go to Communications." She said softly.

Daisy froze, staring at her for a long moment. "I- what do you mean?" She asked. "Have you forgotten which one you went to?"

She shook her head. "No. You belong at Comms. You're a field agent at heart, you don't want to be a specialist."

The undertones came across loud and clear. Daisy shifted closer to her, leaned against the wall beside her. "But... I wanna be like you. I thought- I thought you wanted that too. You've been training me since I got here."

May wrapped a lazy arm around her shoulders. "I never wanted you to be like me." She said softly. "You're better than that."

Daisy laughed. "Impossible." She said, resting her head on May's shoulder. "You're amazing."

"So are you." Melinda murmured. "Finishing a double major in Computer Science and Cyber Security in two years? That's pretty impressive."

Daisy shrugged bashfully. "Maybe I just wanted to get home faster."

"That degree won't get any use at Ops. Neither will your hacking skills." She paused. "You worked too hard to give that up."

"But I wanna fight." Daisy whispered. "I can't just sit around programming all day, that's not me."

May smiled. "Are you saying that Phil sits around at a desk all day?"

Daisy laughed. "I guess not." She admitted. "I just don't want... this feels like I'm choosing between you guys."

Melinda let her fingers card through Daisy's hair. "No one expects you to do that." She murmured. "Is this just about us?"

Daisy sighed heavily. "I- I'm glad Felicity got such a great offer." She said, looking down. "I'm happy for her."

"But..."

"I just miss her." Daisy mumbled. "I know long distance wouldn't have worked for that long, and I guess this is the best way, but... I miss her."

"I know honey. I'm sorry."

"I don't wanna lose you too."

"You won't." Melinda whispered into her hair. "Not over something like this."

Giving up any pretence, Daisy wrapped her arms around May's waist, hugging her tightly. "I love you."

"Love you too." May murmured, "And going to Communications won't change that."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Phil leaned against her desk a few days later with a smug grin. "So." He said. "Academy applications closed last night."

May raised an eyebrow. "So they did."

"Oh come on Mel, you can't tell me you don't want to know where she applied."

She shrugged. "Maybe she applied at both. You know how thorough she can be when she wants something."

"You can't apply to more than one academy and you know it."

May shook her head. "I'm sure she made the right choice."

Phil cocked his head. "You already know, don't you?" He said, realising. She wasn't getting half as mischievous as she had in the weeks leading up to Daisy's decision.

Melinda sighed. There really wasn't any point in denying it. Their playful battle had been fun, but she didn't really care as long as Daisy was happy. "We talked." She admitted. "The other night."

"And?"

"I told her to go to Communications." May shrugged. "It's the obvious choice for her with her degree. She's not a specialist and we both know it. She was really worried, Phil."

He frowned. "She knows we were just teasing, right?"

Melinda nodded, leaning back in her chair. "She's still a bit shaken up about Felicity, that's all. I think she felt like she'd be losing one of us by choosing."

"That would never happen."

"I told her that. Just- maybe let up on the academy jokes for a little while."

"Done." Phil smiled. "You're a great mom, you know that?"

May scoffed. "I noticed that she was worried, it's not exactly rocket science."

He shrugged. "I didn't notice. I knew she was nervous about her application, I didn't think it was about us. That makes you a good mom."

"If you say so."

Phil groaned. " _Melinda."_

She finally cracked a smile and he pulled her up into a kiss. "You're an amazing mom." He said again. "I love you."

"I know."

Phil grinned. That was his wife. His best friend. He loved seeing her so alive. "Come on, Garrett wanted us to brief him on the new Triskellion layout."

"Us?"

"Okay, me, but he doesn't get as... Garrett when you're around."

"This isn't happening unless you let me throw you against a wall the next time Blake tries hitting on me."

"Deal."


	2. Chapter 2

**4 May 2012**

May was right about Communications. Daisy felt even more at home there than she did while doing her Bachelor's degree. Though most of her classmates there had been guys hitting on her and talking down to her, so she supposed that was no surprise.

There were a lot of options for her classes, and Daisy wasn't surprised to see that computer programming was an option, even if she was overqualified and couldn't take the class.

She'd had more than a few classmates come to her for help. After her first semester at Comms she'd ended up enrolling in almost as many classes at Sci-tech as at her own academy, at the behest of some higher ups who'd decided that her computer skills would be invaluable to SHIELD's sci-tech division. She didn't mind. They had more cool toys to program than Daisy had ever seen, and some great professors who seemed to have no problem with her banging on their doors at all times of the day or night. Maybe they just knew her parents.

She had decided before starting not to tell anyone who her parents were. May was an academy legend, and while Daisy was proud to have her as her mom, the legend that the other cadets told wasn't like her at all.

Knowing that they were talking about the mission that broke her heart only made it hurt more to hear them tell it, but she didn't ask them to stop. Didn't argue. She pretended that it was practice for going undercover.

Maybe it was.

She still visited them on weekends. She never lied to anyone about where she was going or who she was meeting. The others just needed to ask the right questions.

None of them had much time to ask questions lately though. Their second year exams were approaching, and everyone was nervous. Daisy knew that she was at the top of her year, but that didn't matter. She wanted to do her best, be her best.

She wanted to have good news for May and Phil when they got back from their assignment on that weird helicarrier. She couldn't deny that she was worried for them.

That thing was _way_ too easy to hack.

Daisy's final for espionage was in the morning, and she didn't have the time to watch the news. Didn't have time to listen to what people were saying on the street. All she had the time to do right now was to study for this stupid exam that she was _definitely going to fail at this rate what was she going to do?!_

She didn't sleep that night, trying to at first but then realising that it wasn't going to happen and studying more instead.

She still wasn't ready.

Daisy stood outside the hall where their exam was going to be, wringing her hands and willing herself to calm down. What would she tell her parents when she failed? How mad would they be, after they had put so much hope in her?

Why was she so stupid?

Daisy shook herself. _No._ She said to herself sternly in a voice that had always reminded her of her mom. _I'm not stupid. Even if I fail this exam, I'm fine._

What she wouldn't give for another day to study though...

"Daisy!" She jumped at the voice, louder and closer than she would have expected. "Great news!"

She looked up with a nervous grin. "What, was the exam cancelled?"

Jiya beamed. "Yeah! There was some emergency at HQ so all exams are cancelled until further notice!"

Daisy gaped. "Oh my god, that's awesome!" She exclaimed, running after her to celebrate at the cafeteria.

It wasn't for another minute that a sick feeling settled in her stomach and made her stop dead in her tracks. Emergency at HQ.

Oh God.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Daisy crashed through the hospital door, heart in her throat. "Room 304?" She asked a nurse, trying not to scream or cry. "Please, I'm their daughter."

Another nurse tried to stop her before she went in, but she didn't care.

Her parents were in there.

Daisy's ears picked up the steady beeping sound before she saw anything. Part of her brain reacted to it, reminding her that that was good. That was the heartbeat, and it was steady.

Alive.

She tried to hang onto that thought when she saw the pale figure unconscious in the hospital bed.

Daisy bit her lip, trying and failing to bottle the tears. "M-mom?"

"Daisy!" Phil turned. "How did you- what are you doing here?"

Daisy felt herself trembling, not taking her eyes off May's form. "I-I heard that the- the carrier went down, but no one would tell me anything- so I-I... I hacked the security cameras, and..."

Phil's arms encased her before she could completely fall apart. "It's okay." He murmured, letting her cry into his suit. "It's okay honey, she'll be fine."

Daisy shook. "I-I was _happy._ " She whispered. "I- my exam was cancelled cos of an emergency and I was _happy about it."_

"You didn't know."

"Shouldn't I?" She asked, looking up at him. "Aren't I supposed to- sense this sort of stuff?" Daisy sniffled. "You- your mom dies and you feel it, right?"

"Hey." Phil said firmly. "She is not dying. You hear me? She's not allowed to die." He turned his head to look at his wife. "Not for me."

"She saved you."

"I know."

The two sat down beside May's bed, trying to ignore how pale she was. Watching the bag of blood drain slowly into her body.

Daisy imagined it pooling on the ground around her. May was so small. She didn't have much blood to lose. "You guys have to be more careful." She whispered. "You- you're not allowed to die out there."

Phil took her hand. "We'll keep that in mind."

Daisy gave a wet laugh. "You'd better."

Phil let the room fall silent, looking at his wife. _Please wake up._ He begged. _Daisy's scared and I'm scared and we can't make it go away until you wake up._

He had never been so scared in his life as when Melinda had come out of nowhere and pushed him aside. He hadn't even seen Loki approaching him from behind, hadn't known what had happened until he heard Melinda's scream of pain.

He shot Loki on impulse. Didn't care that he escaped, not really. They had other people to take care of Loki.

Phil's job was to keep pressure on his wife's shoulder so that she didn't bleed out.

He didn't think that he slept. That wasn't what it felt like. It felt like he was looking at Melinda's unconscious body and then he was still looking at her, waiting. But the light from the window was suddenly darker, and the noise from outside was less and he couldn't place when that had happened.

Daisy was asleep in her chair, half fallen out of it. That made sense. She could sleep anywhere.

When he looked back, Melinda's brown eyes were sleepily looking at Daisy too. "She shouldn't be here." She whispered.

Phil hurried to her side. "How do you feel?" He asked, reaching for her but unsure of what he intended to do. "Are you in pain?"

May shoved his hands away groggily. "M'fine Phil." She muttered. "Why's Daisy here?"

Phil swallowed. "She heard about the helicarrier and... you know how she is." May rolled her eyes in a tired kind of way and he carefully wrapped his arms around her. "I was so scared." Phil whispered. "There was so much blood and I thought..."

"You think _you_ were scared?" May said softly. "My idiot husband decided to take on a god with a gun that he didn't even know worked."

Phil trembled. "I'm sorry."

"Don't do it again."

"No more god battles. I promise."

Daisy grunted. "For either of you." She muttered. "You're not allowed to die on me."

May smiled gently. "Daisy." She murmured expectantly, and within moments Daisy too had her wrapped in an embrace. "I'm sorry I scared you." May whispered.

Daisy sighed against her. "I'm glad you're okay."

"It'd take a lot more than a god to take me down and you know it."

Phil and Daisy both snorted. "That's true." Phil said, holding himself back from holding her as tightly as he could. Melinda was in enough pain because of him.

May stifled a yawn and the other two pulled away. Part of her wanted to grab at them. Refuse to let them go. She didn't though.

"You need to rest." Phil said gently, holding her hand. "We'll stay until you fall asleep."

She nodded. "I love you."

He smiled. "I know."

May smiled back in a way that made Daisy want to look away. She joked about her parents being too intimate sometimes, but this felt far more private than seeing them making out in the kitchen. This felt like they could read each other's minds. Like they could never be torn apart.

She would never admit how much she loved seeing them that way.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

When Phil put down the cup of coffee in front of her, Daisy jumped. He wasn't surprised; she looked like she was a million miles away.

He sat down across from her. The hospital cafe was almost empty at this time of night, only a few harried nurses and one couple there aside from the two of them. "You okay?" Phil asked softly, noting how shaken Daisy still seemed.

Daisy tried her coffee cup but her hands were shaking. She swallowed. "Not really. You?"

He smiled sadly. "No." Phil looked at the steam swirling from his coffee. "I made a stupid decision and my wife could have died. I don't know if it'll happen again." He sighed. "We've been hurt before. This just..." He gestured to the TV. "The world got a lot bigger."

"We don't know how dangerous it's gonna get." Daisy mumbled, watching the volunteers dig through New York.

"No." Phil murmured. He was tempted to suggest that Daisy quit the academy and do something else, _anything_ else. But deep down he knew that she never would. That she'd be angry with him for even suggesting it. So he didn't say that, and instead changed the subject. "You know, I met Captain America?"

For the first time since she had gotten the news, Daisy smiled. "Yeah?" She said. "What's he like?"

"Brave, outspoken." Phil looked down with a grin. "He kind of reminded me of you."

Daisy scoffed. "Right, you meet Captain America and the first person you think of is the half-Chinese girl."

"My brave, opinionated, half-Chinese daughter." Phil corrected. "You know, he's pretty handsome too."

"Your wife is _upstairs_." Daisy said, trying not to let on as to how touched she was. "Besides, blondes don't seem like your type."

"I don't know." Phil teased, "They seem like _your_ type."

Daisy laughed. "I'm not dating Captain America cos you wanna be able to say he's your son in law."

"Worth a shot." And worth the joking around because he'd gotten a laugh out of her.

Daisy caught his eye and immediately saw the thinly veiled worry there. The way he was sitting, waiting for someone to come and give him news.

She looked away and sank into her seat. "It's weird, I always felt like she was just... bulletproof. I mean- I know she's not but... she's just May, you know? She's- she can't..." Daisy blinked back the burn of tears and fell silent, if only to keep her voice from trembling.

Phil took her hand. "She'll be okay." He murmured. "The doctors said there's no nerve damage. She'll be in physical rehab for a few weeks, but she'll make a full recovery."

"This time." Daisy whispered.

He squeezed her hand. "I know you're scared. I am too."

"But?"

He shrugged. "But nothing. I'm- I'm scared for my wife. I'm scared for my best friend."

Daisy bit the inside of her cheek. "She's made it this far though." She said. "That's- that's something." She thought of the wall of valor. All the agents who had never made it past thirty.

"It is." Phil sighed.

"And she's got you." Daisy murmured.

Phil nodded. "And you."

"Maybe that's enough." Daisy said hopefully. "Maybe- maybe we're enough to to keep each other alive." She took a shaky breath. "If- if May wasn't there... you'd be..."

"I'm okay." Phil murmured, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of her hand. "We're all okay."

"Promise you'll be more careful."

"I promise." He said. "Don't worry, we'll be on clean-up for a long time after this."

"Good."


	3. Chapter 3

**4 April 2014**

Daisy had a love hate relationship with the sci-tech academy. On one hand it was great to flex her programming muscles with some people who could actually keep up and understand what she was doing, and she liked playing with all the cool toys they had. On the other hand, she couldn't help but feel like they looked down on her. The students were often patronising, even the nice ones, and she had just been summoned with no warning from the Triskellion.

She was going to have lunch with her parents too.

Daisy shook off her disappointment. These things happened. She'd see them for dinner tomorrow night either way.

She burst through the lab door with a wide grin. "'Sup science twins?" She asked.

Jemma and Leopold both jumped at her loud entrance. "Daisy, do you mind?" Fitz said, one hand over his heart. "Our work is _delicate._ "

Daisy rolled her eyes but held herself back from being too sarcastic. Those two were high strung. She hadn't really decided if she liked them yet, but they were pretty damn amazing at what they did. It was a good idea to at least get along. "Sorry."

Simmons smiled. "It's quite alright, you just surprised us." She said, "I hope Agent Weaver didn't pull you from anything important."

Fitz snorted softly. "Important work at Communications." He muttered, fiddling with one of his drones.

Daisy's temper flared up, but she fought to control it. "Actually I was at the Triskellion." She said conversationally. "They wanted me to explain the new security features."

He gaped at her for a moment, then looked back down. Daisy was gratified that Fitz didn't reply. Sci-tech kids could be so up themselves. She knew that Phil would tell her to play nice with them, but May would tell her not to take any crap, so she wouldn't.

Jemma popped up beside Daisy with a cup of tea, which she placed before her with a smile. "Fitz has been working on the Dwarves you see." She said brightly. "And we very much liked your idea of giving them their own AI, so that they could scan the area more effectively."

"Makes sense." Daisy shrugged. "So you want me to program it?"

"Well we'd certainly appreciate it." Simmons said pointedly, elbowing Fitz in the ribs.

He jumped, glared at her, and looked up at Daisy. She noticed the subtle flush to his cheeks and groaned internally. What was it with nerdy guys? "We'd- we'd be grateful for your help." Fitz muttered.

"Well since you asked so nicely." Daisy said with a grin. She knew that she'd probably be working with these two for a long time. They were the brightest graduates from Sci-Tech in history. "Where should we start?"

It was easy to get into a rhythm of work with Fitzsimmons. Fitz got less petty when he was focusing on the project, explaining his drones to her, and Simmons was equally helpful, chiming in and finishing his sentences.

The three of them got so deep into their work that they didn't notice the buzzing phone Daisy had left on the bench.

In fact the first thing to pull them out of their own little world was a scream.

Then gunshots.

Daisy hit the floor before her brain and fully grasped what was happening, and once she had, she'd grabbed Fitzsimmons and dragged them down too. The sound of footsteps down the hall made her hurry to the light switch, flicking it off, before returning to hide out of sight with the two scientists, praying that this was just some way over the top hazing ritual.

Someone jiggled at the doorknob a moment after Daisy hit the lock on her tablet, and then a male voice said. "It's locked. I don't think anyone's inside."

Another replied. "We'll find the override soon enough. For now just keep rounding up the new recruits. Hail Hydra!"

"Hail Hydra!"

Jemma whimpered and Daisy clamped a hand over her mouth, her brain running wild. Hydra? What did that mean? They'd been gone since the 40's, everyone knew that. Phil had told her that story, her academy professors told her that story.

What the hell was going on?

When the footsteps retreated, Daisy didn't move. "What the hell is this?" She hissed. "I swear if this is a joke I'm gonna _kill_ you."

"I don't know!" Jemma gasped. Her breathing was getting rapid, and Daisy knew she wasn't far from panicking. "I-I don't... what do we do?!"

Daisy swallowed. "We have to get out of here. Fitz, you okay?"

She couldn't see him in the dark, so she reached out to touch him and felt him shaking. "Fitz, I can get us out."

" _How?_ " He whispered. "How- you've never even been out in the bloody field! None of us have!"

"Hey! I'm the one who's been trained to deal with this crap, and I'm not letting you get yourself killed!" Daisy hissed. "I am getting us out of here."

Jemma swallowed and took a deep breath. "What can we do?"

Daisy gritted her teeth. She had no gun. As good as she was at hand to hand, she didn't think she was going to make any impact against a team of armed Hydra agents. "We need a diversion." She said. "So we can sneak out."

"Then what?" Fitz asked in a hushed voice.

"We run." Daisy muttered. "I can hotwire a car, then we can make it to my parents' safehouse."

"Your parents have a _safehouse?!"_

"Not the time guys." Daisy hissed. "We need a diversion." She paused. "You've got a self destruct feature on those drones, right?"

"Wha- no. Daisy, no, you can't, we've been working on them for- you can't just _blow them up._ "

"It's them or us Fitz! I'm sorry, but I'd blow up everything you've ever built if it gets us out of here!'

Someone passed by and the three of them held their breath. Daisy reached for her tablet. "I have to contact the Triskellion." She said softly. "We need backup. You guys start rigging those drones."

When Daisy opened the communication channel however, she noticed something. "There's a coded message." She whispered. "Being transmitted on all channels."

"What does it say?"

"Working on it."

It didn't take Daisy long to decode the message, but when the letters flicked up on the screen she wished that they hadn't. "Out of the shadows." She said, heart in her throat. "Hail Hydra."

Two pairs of eyes fixed on her, frightened. "What does that mean?" Jemma asked.

"I-I think it means we're on our own." Daisy whispered, tapping hurriedly at the screen. The Triskellion was the heart of this, she had to see what was going on. She had to know.

Daisy hacked one of the outside security cameras just in time to see the building begin to crumble, helicarriers falling back into the lake. _No. God no._ A tiny voice whispered in the back of her mind. Her parents were in there. Her mom and dad. What happened to them?

 _Stop it._ She told herself. _This isn't the time. You have to go._

"We're on our own." Daisy said firmly. "I hope you're done with those drones."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

The explosion was bigger than Daisy had expected, but she wasn't really surprised about that. If there was one thing these two were good at, it was blowing stuff up. "Come on!" She hissed, ushering them out the window she had jimmied open.

"Daisy Johnson." Her blood turned to ice. That wasn't a familiar voice.

Daisy swallowed and turned, resolving to at least buy Fitzsimmons enough time to get away. "I don't think we've met." She said coldly.

The man was clearly a specialist. Short dark hair, clean shaven, tall. A sense of superiority and smugness about him. More importantly, he had a gun in his hands. He smiled. "You'll know me soon enough. I'm here to bring you in." Daisy suddenly realised where she'd seen him before. He was one of Garrett's trainees.

Daisy didn't move, but she did fall back into a more solid stance. "I guess you're gonna be disappointed then."

"Don't make this harder than it needs to be." He said, taking a step forwards. "I don't wanna hurt you."

"Won't be a problem." Before he had a chance to react or say anything else, Daisy had rushed forwards, kicking the gun from his hand. He managed to land a significant punch to her jaw and Daisy stumbled back, dazed. Before he could pick up the gun again she lunged, aiming a kick to his knee and relishing in the scream elicited as it bent sideways.

"Daisy come on!" Jemma's voice called, and when Daisy looked back to the window she found herself screaming from the knife that had slashed at her leg.

She put the Hydra agent out with a swift kick to the head, seized his gun and clambered out the back window. It wouldn't be long before they were followed.

Jemma reached for her when she saw Daisy's limp. "You're hurt!"

"Don't worry about it." Daisy grunted. "We have to get out of here."

She tried to hurry, but found herself stumbling every few steps due to the wound to her calf. After several seconds of this, Daisy felt a uncertain hand pull her arm over a pair of shoulders. She blinked at Fitz, but he didn't look at her. "Come on." He muttered. "It's faster this way."

Daisy nodded. "Thank you."

Fitz shook his head. "You saved us."

"We're not out of the woods yet." Daisy muttered, bundling into the car. It was a good thing Fitz was good at hotwiring.

The memory of the Triskellion crumbling down to the ground came back, but she shoved it aside. Now they had to get far enough away to ditch this car, then they had to get to the safehouse.

Then she could think about how her parents were in there.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Daisy had tried to bury those feelings the entire time they had run. She had forced them back as she ditched the SHIELD car, as they stole another from an abandoned lot, as she had ditched that one in turn and dragged Fitzsimmons through the woods on her bleeding leg.

She tried not to think about it, but she couldn't keep the thoughts back.

What if her parents had been captured? What if they were in the Triskellion when it had gone down?

What if they were Hydra? And if they were... what would she do?

She shivered at the questions and pushed the cabin door open. "It's shielded." Daisy muttered. "Not huge, but there's a couple of beds and some canned food in the cupboard."

Fitzsimmons trailed in after her, both well past the point of asking questions. "I'd like some water, if that's alright." Jemma said, her voice rough.

Daisy nodded in the direction of the kitchen. "Glasses are in the cabinet." She sat down on the couch with a grunt. "Fitz- the security features aren't on. You can activate them by the door."

"Done."

Daisy closed her eyes briefly to catch her breath. There were spare clothes here, so after grabbing the first aid kit she shod her pants, trying with some difficulty to clean her stab wound.

Fitz hesitated, forcibly not looking at her, his cheeks pink. "Do you- uh- do you need help?"

"I've got it." Jemma said, snatching the kit from Daisy's hands before she could protest. "Biochemistry isn't the same as a medical degree, but I suppose we have to make do."

"Yeah." Daisy whispered. She wanted to say more. She'd been her mom when they were escaping. She'd gotten them out and to safety, she'd fought. She knew that she'd run out of steam eventually though.

Now she was just Daisy. Just that same scared kid who wanted her parents to come back.

She didn't say anything as Jemma cleaned and dressed the wound, nor when she shone a light in her eyes to check for a concussion. Daisy barely had enough willpower to pull on a clean pair of pants.

When Jemma draped the spare blanket over her shoulders Daisy noticed how the two were looking at her. They were worried.

She swallowed. "You- you guys can go rest." She said, nodding to the bedroom. "I'll keep watch."

Fitz and Simmons looked at each other, and a moment later they each took a seat on either side of her. "Don't be stupid." Fitz said softly. "We're in this together."

"Yes." Jemma agreed. "We'd be goners if it weren't for you."

Daisy sighed softly. "Thank you." She murmured. Jemma put a hand over hers, and that was comfort enough for now.

The three of them sat in silence for a long time. Daisy kept looking at her phone, praying for some sign, some message. Something to tell her that her parents were alive.

She felt the phone buzz and her heart leapt into her throat, but a moment later she saw that it was just on low battery.

Daisy bit her lip and put it down. She felt sick.

Jemma looked at her. She hesitated. "You know, I'm sure Agents Coulson and May are fine." She murmured. "They're both excellent agents."

Daisy froze for a moment and then turned to stare at her. "You... you knew?"

Fitz shrugged. "We thought it was weird that we hadn't heard of you before you showed up at sci-tech." He said softly. "We might not be hackers like you but we could do a background check."

Daisy shrugged. "I just didn't want everyone to think I was some kind of... legacy thing."

"We understand." Jemma murmured.

"I didn't really try to hide it." She muttered. "No one asked."

"Well you did change your name on your personnel file." Fitz said. "But that makes sense. If you had 'Coulson' as your last name people would ask questions."

Daisy hesitated, feeling oddly scared. "I-I didn't change it." She muttered. "I just... I'm adopted."

A stunned silence followed her admission and Daisy looked down. She didn't know what else to say. She didn't know why admitting that felt like shame.

"Oh!" Jemma said after a moment. "That makes sense, we didn't think that those two had been married for that long, but obviously that doesn't mean anything, but... well, we were a little confused."

Daisy smiled. "Yeah. They adopted me about eight years ago."

Jemma beamed. "That's brilliant!" She said, a little too brightly.

Fitz nodded. "What's it like, living with the Cavalry?"

"Don't call her that." Daisy snapped on impulse. "She hates it."

Fitz recoiled. "I- sorry." He muttered.

Daisy sighed. "It's okay." She said. "I guess I'm just- I'm scared for them. May's not as unbreakable as everyone thinks."

"She's still pretty tough." Fitz prompted. "Right?"

A smile crept, unbidden, across Daisy's face. "Yeah." She admitted. "She is. She taught me everything I know about how to fight." In every way.

"I don't think I'd ever break the rules if she was my mother." Jemma joked.

Daisy grinned. "She's a total pushover." She said, her voice tinged with laughter. "I just bat my eyes and morning training is cancelled." Truth be told Daisy almost never wanted to skip training anyway, no matter how much she liked to sleep in.

Daisy sighed. "I don't know how you guys can do it." She murmured. "Living so far away from your family."

"It is hard." Jemma admitted.

"Yeah." Fitz said quietly. "I- I miss my mum."

"We'll have to get in touch with them." Jemma said, seemingly only realising it at that moment. "Let them know we're safe. My dad must be scared out of his mind."

Daisy listened to them talk, staring at the front door. She wished it would open and reveal May and Phil, maybe a little beaten up, but alive and safe and _here._

She needed them to be okay.

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

Daisy wasn't sure of when she'd dozed off, the adrenaline of the day finally catching up to her. One minute she was trying to ascertain what was left of SHIELD, and the next she was being startled awake by the perimeter alarms blaring.

She jumped to her feet immediately, grabbing the gun a second later. Fitz and Jemma weren't as quick. "Whasgoinon?" Fitz mumbled, blinking blearily.

Daisy swallowed. Her parents would never have set off the perimeter alarms. They were the ones who had shown her how to get past them. "I don't know." She said. "Just stay quiet. Go into the other room, and if I tell you to run, run."

Jemma looked like she was going to argue, but before she could say anything Fitz had pulled her away, giving Daisy a nod. She tried to smile. It didn't work.

As the door closed behind Fitzsimmons, Daisy forced herself to listen. Someone was approaching, alone. Their gait was slightly uneven, suggesting a limp.

That was good. She could take one Hydra agent with a limp.

Something niggled at her though. If it was Hydra, how did they know she was here? Why would they only send one agent?

Daisy's heart leapt into her throat when the door creaked open. She couldn't speak.

"Daisy!" Phil exclaimed. "Oh thank God you're okay, what happened?"

As he took a step towards her, uncertainty gripped Daisy's hands. Hydra had everything SHIELD had ever developed. Including... "Stay there." She said firmly, cocking the gun.

Phil, or whoever he was, stopped in his tracks. "Daisy what are you doing?" He asked. "It's me."

Daisy swallowed. "My dad was the one who showed me that tripwire." She said, trying to stay calm. "He was the one who told me how important it was not to set it off by accident. Face changing tech can't fool that. You can't fool me."

He held up his hands peacefully. "Daisy, I swear, it's me. Look," He gestured to his leg. "I got shot. I fell over, that's why I set off the tripwire."

Daisy's hand faltered. Maybe it was true. Maybe it was a trick. "Prove it." She pressed. "Now."

She wasn't sure why, but his expression softened. "You beat us here." He said, almost to himself, then smiled. "You're an even better agent than we thought you'd be." Phil murmured. "Young lady."

Daisy's heart clenched and she immediately dropped the gun, catapulting towards him. "It's you." She whispered into his collar. "You- you're here."

Phil held her tightly, closing his eyes. She was safe. Daisy was safe and here and now they were together.

At least, _they_ were.

Seemingly in reaction to that thought, Daisy pulled away, looking behind him. "Where's May?" She asked, hoping against hope that she would appear from around the doorframe, having been checking the house for trespassers.

She didn't.

Daisy looked back to Phil and the look on his face had her feeling like the ground had given out from beneath them. "No." She whispered. "No, she can't- tell me she's okay, please."

"Daisy..."

" _No!"_

"I don't know where she is." Phil murmured, looking down. "I- she could be right behind me, or..." He squeezed his eyes shut. He'd done what May wanted, he'd gotten back to Daisy. So why did he feel like he had done the wrong thing?

Daisy swallowed thickly. "What happened?"

"We were about to go out on a mission." He said softly. "But when we got into the jeep there was no gas. It didn't feel right but we gassed it ourselves anyway. That's when- when Hydra came." He swallowed. "They were looking for us. I think Sitwell... Sitwell." Phil shook his head. "It's everyone Daisy, everyone."

A horrible thought occurred to her. "Not Maria?"

"Wha- no." He said. "No, no way." Phil thought back. "No, she- she was fighting back. I know it."

Daisy swallowed. "Maybe mom and her got out together?"

"I hope so."

Phil grunted in pain and Daisy remembered that he was injured. "Come on. Sit down." She said, ushering him to the couch. "Hey, we're samesies." She tried to joke.

"Daisy? Is everything okay?" A slightly muffled voice called, and Daisy groaned. Right. She'd forgotten they were here.

"Yeah!" She called. "You can come out. We could actually use some help."

Phil cocked his head, frowning when the two emerged from the other room. "Who are you?" He asked, forcing himself to focus on whatever this was instead of the very real possibility that his wife was dead.

"Fitzsimmons." Daisy supplied. "I was- we were working together when Hydra attacked. We got out together."

"Daisy got _us_ out." Jemma corrected. "I'm afraid we were rather useless."

Fitz nudged her. "Hey, you fixed her leg."

Phil offered her a smile. "Don't suppose you can fix mine?" He asked. He was trying to be friendly. Sci-tech kids could be sensitive sometimes, and these two had been through a lot. "I'm a little bit... shot."

Daisy collapsed onto the couch beside him and Phil wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He knew she was worried about May. He was too, but at least they had each other. He could wait for his wife to come back while making sure his daughter was okay. That was something like comfort.

Jemma stitched his leg up in no time, and it didn't take long for Fitzsimmons to curl up on the other couch and doze off. Phil squeezed Daisy's shoulders. "You did good." He murmured. "Getting them here."

Daisy swallowed and snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. "She'll be okay." She said. She almost believed it.

Phil let his fingers stroke through her hair. "Yeah. She's amazing, she'll turn up in no time."

"She'll be mad we were even worried."

He snorted. "She'll be mad we both got flesh wounds to the leg."

Daisy smiled sleepily. "She'll- she'll make fun of us for getting hurt at all." She mumbled. "She'll show up without a scratch and the leader of Hydra hogtied with a bow on his ass."

"Yeah." Phil murmured. "She will." He knew what her response would be, but he still had to say it. "You should rest. I'll wake you if anything happens."

Daisy scoffed. " _You_ should rest." She shot back. "I had a nap before you showed up."

He sighed. "Lets just... keep each other awake."

"Okay."

-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-

"You're bleeding on my favourite jacket on purpose aren't you?"

May glared sourly and continued to limp through the woods, one arm draped over Maria's shoulders. "You should have known better than to try to save me."

Maria rolled her eyes. "I didn't _try_ to save you, I _did._ A thank you would be nice."

"You should have left me behind. Saved yourself."

"Oh sure, and then tell Daisy that her mom's dead even though I could have saved her. Tell Phil that I left you behind." Maria continued to carry her. "Thanks, but I'd rather deal with Hydra."

Melinda said nothing. She didn't know if Daisy was even okay. If she would ever get to see her graduate, become a field agent, live her life. She didn't know if Daisy was alive.

As if reading her mind, Maria spoke. "Daisy's a smart kid." She muttered, making as little noise as she could on the leaves. "I'm sure she's fine."

"You don't know that."

Maria hummed. "I know she's your daughter." She said. "And the best cadet to go through any academy in a long time. She made it out, I know she did."

May paused in her walking. "I won't believe it until I see her." She said softly. "Good agents die all the time."

Maria squeezed her shoulder. "Then we'd better keep going. Prove your pessimistic ass wrong."

May rolled her eyes, but she appreciated Maria's attempts to distract her. "You used to respect me."

Maria snorted. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Melinda's eye caught sight of a marker and the corners of her mouth tightened. "Tripwire was set off." She said, trying to bury the feeling of dread that accompanied that realisation.

Maria looked around cautiously. "Not enough movement through here for it to be Hydra. It could have just been a deer or something."

May nodded, but the unease grew. This was looking worse and worse. She was too injured to fight anyone right now, and Maria could only do so much on her own.

She had tried so hard to keep her family safe, even at the expense of her own safety. What if it wasn't enough? What if despite all of that, she was the only one left alive?

What would she do then?

Both stopped when they caught sight of the safehouse. It was dark, but it was still standing and didn't look like it had had any of the doors or windows beaten in. Maria turned her head to look at her old S.O. "You got a callsign?"

May pushed ahead. "Let's just go." What did the callsign matter anyway? If Phil and Daisy didn't reply then she didn't really care what happened next.

Maria walked with her, but she slipped her gun out of her holster just in case. It probably wasn't Hydra, but if it was she would be damned if she didn't take a few of those bastards down with her.

Daisy sat up. "Someone's coming." She whispered, reaching for her gun.

Phil cocked his head. "More than one person." He muttered. At his nod Daisy stood, moving to the other side of the door ready to shoot.

Daisy didn't flick the safety off her gun when the door opened, knowing that the sound would alert any intruder. A moment later she was glad of it, because the gun didn't go off when it clattered from her hands. "Maria." She breathed, jumping forwards to hug her.

Maria's arms came up automatically to hold her back, and Daisy was dimly aware that there was blood on her arm. "All clear." Maria called, still holding Daisy. She smiled at her. "You did so great kid."

Phil's eyes widened when his wife limped through the door, and in a blink he was holding her in his arms. "Melinda." He breathed, clinging to her. "You- you... Oh God I was so scared."

May said nothing for a moment, contenting herself with burying her head in Phil's chest. Melting in his arms. He was okay. Daisy was okay. Nothing else mattered. She sighed shakily, finally letting herself go. "Phil."

"I'm here." He murmured. "I'm... I told you I could see a way out."

Melinda swallowed. "You were lying." She said softly. They both knew it was true.

Phil pulled her impossibly closer and closed his eyes, taking in the feeling of his wife in his arms. "I'm so glad you're okay."

May squeezed her eyes closed. "I love you." She mumbled, feeling slightly dizzy from the pain and blood loss.

Phil pressed a kiss to her hair. "I know."

A moment later Daisy had crashed into the both of them, her arms wrapping around May as well. "You were taking too long." She muttered. "She's _my_ mom."

May smiled and returned Daisy's hug, feeling Phil draw away. "I'm glad you're okay."

Daisy smiled against her shoulder. "Well I had a good teacher." She felt May's legs tremble from holding her up and pulled back. "You're hurt."

May scoffed. "Nothing gets past you." She joked, then softened. "I'm okay Daisy."

Daisy raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "So you're saying that if I let go of you, you could _definitely_ stand up on your own."

Maria snorted and May scowled. "I'm fine."

"You can't _stand."_ Daisy looked across the room to where Fitzsimmons were still sleeping. "Let me wake Simmons, she can help."

Maria raised her eyebrows. "Good job getting them out." She complimented. "Gotta say, I'm glad those two aren't Hydra."

Daisy grinned. "They're _way_ too nerdy to be Hydra." She said, guiding May to the empty couch and going to wake them.

It wasn't nerdiness that she saw when she looked around at the people who had made it out though. It was their strength and bravery. It was their goodness.

That was what made them SHIELD agents.

That was why Daisy knew that Hydra hadn't won. Not while they were still there.

Even after everything that they had been through, they were still Agents of SHIELD.


End file.
